Ubuhlobo ploughs back to the needy

Members of Ubuhlobo Womens Society embraced Langas Cheshire Home and donated
groceries.

As the nation celebrated Women’s Day last Thursday, August 9, an all-woman non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Ubuhlobo Women’s Society visited Cheshire Home, in Langa, to donate groceries to its residents.

The NGO believes elderly people and people with disabilities are unable to access simple things such as food. And instead of joining festivities for the day, they opted to help the needy at the home.

Public relations officer for the NGO, Funiswa Tiya, said women, particularly those who were aged or had disabilities, were suffering and in many cases, endured severe isolation.

She said it was for that reason that they decided to spend the day at the home.

She added that the NGO had been established to assist women who battled to bury their loved ones. “But we decided to grow beyond that and take care of those who need to be loved. There are neglected people all around. We took that responsibility to ourselves as these women,” she said.

Chairperson Nomthathi Gxesheka said the NGO’s mission was to provide the necessary support for needy families. She said the NGO established partnerships with various organisations and ordinary people to empower, educate and mentor communities.

“We divided the organisations into sectors,” she said. “We have Community Development, Entertainment, Bereavement and Membership. We provide different services including nutritious food to the destitute when we have time. We all know that there are neglected people . We believe we should do something for them.

“Poverty is the challengesour communities are facing. We are here to fulfill our duties as the citizens.”

Ms Gxesheka said there was a need to instil the spirit of Ubuntu across the nation.

Mnyamezeli Mbadlisa, manager at the home, said the home largely relied on donations, with government funding used for operational needs. He added that tenants contribute a portion of their social grant towards the home management.

He said each of the 26 tenants cost the home R6 500 a month, and there was always shortfall in the government funding.

“We really appreciate the visit, especially by people not known to us. That alone lifts up the spirit of the tenants,” said Mr Mbadlisa. “We mostly rely on donations, so for them coming to donate groceries is a huge help. That means we will not use the money we were to use this coming month because we have groceries. That money will patch somewhere.”

Mr Mbadlisa urged people to visit the home even if they had no donations because the tenants enjoyed getting visitors.

He called on prospective donors who would want to donate to the home to use the GivenGain Foundation campaign to do so.